1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of hockey sticks and the like, and more particularly, to a reinforced hockey replacement blade adapted for connection to and use with a hockey stick handle. The invention also relates to a method of making such a replacement blade.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ice hockey sticks have experienced dramatic changes throughout the years. Specifically, ice hockey sticks have evolved from plain wooden sticks having a straight blade and handle to significantly improved sticks having a curved blade and fiberglass reinforcement.
The construction of the stick has also evolved substantially. Initially, the handle and blade portions were both constructed of wood and were integrally joined with one another through various processes so that the blade and the handle were essentially a single, integral unit. As technology developed, metal handles, particularly aluminum handles, were introduced and more recently, plastic or composite handles have also been introduced. Both aluminum and plastic or composite handles are elongated and generally hollow, and are secured to a replacement blade by a heat sensitive adhesive.
A typical replacement blade includes a blade portion, a shaft portion and a connection end. The blade portion includes a toe end and a heel end. The shaft portion begins at the heel and extends upwardly to the connection end. The connection end is designed and shaped for insertion into the lower end of the aluminum or plastic handle where it is retained by the heat sensitive adhesive. The blade and shaft portions of the replacement blade are commonly covered with a reinforcement material to improve the strength and durability of these areas. One reinforcement technique involves providing a sheet of fiberglass or other reinforcing material and folding or wrapping the sheet around the blade and shaft portions. Another reinforcement technique involves the use of a sleeve of braided fiberglass or other reinforcing fibers as shown in Canadian Patent No. 1,138,912 issued in 1983 to Harwell. In both cases, a curable resin is applied to the reinforcement material to bond such material to the replacement blade. After the resin cures, excess reinforcement material is removed by sanding and the shaft end of the replacement blade is cut or routed to form a shoulder and thus the connection end. During formation of the connection end, a portion of the wood and reinforcement material is removed to provide the connection end with the proper configuration and dimensions for insertion into the hollow end of the metal or plastic handle.
Although metal and plastic hockey stick handles with connected replacement blades function satisfactorily, and have been generally positively received by hockey players, there has been a tendency for the connection end of the replacement blade to break at or near the point at which the blade is secured at the lower end of the handle. This tendency to break is due in large measure to the necessary removal of the reinforcement material and a general narrowing of dimensions at the connection end to enable its insertion into the handle. The problem is further compounded by the continuing popularity of the slapshot and the emergence of bigger and stronger players, both of which result in greater stresses being placed on the hockey stick. Experience has generally shown that the weakest point of a replacement blade is usually at the point at which the blade joins with the lower end of the handle.
This problem has been previously recognized and various attempts have been made to reinforce the replacement blade at the point of connection. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,875 issued to Easton et al., uses a tapered metal shank which mates with a rectangular tubular shaft or handle to form a bond between the handle and blade. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,113 issued to McKinnon et al., a double box beam shaft in which a pair of fiberglass rods are positioned to provide reinforcement through the heel and neck portions of the blade. Both of these solutions require a plastic or fabricated blade. Thus, they are not applicable to wooden blades.
A solution applicable to wooden blades is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,027 issued to Christian, et al. In this patent the fabric fiberglass or other reinforcement material is extended up over the hozel or connection end of the replacement blade and then a clamp or molding device is utilized to provide the final configuration to the connection end. Still other proposed solutions have simply involved securing reinforcement material in the form of reinforcement strips to the sides of the connection end so that the strips extend downwardly past the connection point and onto a side portion of the replacement blade. However, in this latter solution, the final sanding step results in much of the reinforcing material being removed as the material is sanded to make it substantially flush with the wood portion of the blade to which it is connected. The reduces the benefit of the reinforcement material. Further, this solution of ten merely results in a transfer of the weak point of the replacement blade from its connection point to some other location.
Accordingly, a need continues to exist in the art for a hockey replacement blade useable with an aluminum or plastic hockey stick handle in which the connection end as well as the remainder of the replacement blade is reinforced to minimize breakage in a cost effective and efficient manner.